


Fire Emblem Fates: Shorts

by irisandlily



Category: Fire Emblem Birthright, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Drabble, Eliza/Silas, ElizaSilas, F/M, Female My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, Fix-It of Sorts, Hoshido | Birthright Route, Shorts, hoshido fam is best fam, i don't proofread anything so rip, in this house we love takumi, nothing is posted in order, xander makes me irrationally angry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2019-09-07 03:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16846018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisandlily/pseuds/irisandlily
Summary: Short stories about my MU Eliza where I attempt to fill in plotholes and solve problems that could easily be solved by Corrin not being a dumbass in gameCanonically following Birthright RouteShorts will be posted very slowly, inconsistently, and out of order





	1. Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza thinks back on the past week she has spent in Hoshido, and begins doubting her life as a ‘Nohrian Princess’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between chapter 4 and 5 of fates

Eliza had been wandering the Hoshidon palace, lost in her thoughts. Grasping at fleeting, vague memories. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Why was it she could barely remember anything from her childhood? It was like trying to put together a puzzle where all except one piece was missing. It made her head hurt.

She had no reason to believe Queen Mikoto was lying to her. The queen had been nothing but kind and patient during her stay, and Eliza couldn’t deny she was happy in Hoshido. Happier than she had been inside the Northern Fortress.

She also couldn’t deny the distinct similarities between herself and the queen, in regards to physical appearance. Similar facial features, such as face shape and jawline. While they had the same black hair, Eliza could easily dismiss that to a coincidence. Their eyes were different, the queen’s being a beautiful ginger brown with a tint of red in them. That was what Eliza had first noticed upon meeting her, along with how beautiful and regal she was. Eliza’s eyes were red, a mix between ruby red and wine red, as Camilla often described them.

She had never liked the color of her eyes before. _‘_ _Like pools of blood_ _’_ , she recalled her father saying to her. She had been nine, and she had trembled at those words, rooting a deep fear and hatred in her for the color of her eyes.

If he had been trying to make her feel better, it hadn't worked.

Her father… if the queen was telling the truth… had her ever truly loved her? Cared for her? He had always been a distant man. And she had never heard any affection in his tone the few times he visited and spoke. To her or her Nohrian siblings. Xander had told her duties as King required their father to remain distant from others, even his own children. Eliza would be lying if she said she “loved” King Garon. There wasn't really… anything she could love to begin with.

And Xander… She was starting to suspect he had known. Known she was not his sister, not in blood at least. Thinking back on it, the older brother had always behaved… _odd_ , whenever she had asked about her mother. Unlike Elise or Leo, she had no memories of her mother. Nothing of comforting hugs or kind smiles. Only that she died when she was young. That was what Xander had told her. But the answers were always the same. Always short. Never an answer of substance or significance. She had often seen a strange look in his eyes when she asked. Even Camilla had been unable to answer any questions about Eliza’s mother. Even historical documents had no trace of her mother. As if she had never existed.

_“...How come Xander and Father won't tell me about my mother?” Eliza had asked Camilla one day, as they sat in the library of the Northern Fortress, reading. Camilla looked a bit surprised at Eliza's question, but calmly put down her teacup. Courtesy of Jakob and Flora._

_“With Father, I suspect because he doesn't like dwelling on the past.”_

_“I don't know anything about my mother, and Father rarely visits for me to really ask him, and Xander… He knows something about my mother but he just won't_ **_tell_ ** _me.”_

_“Perhaps he'll tell you when you're older.” Camilla suggested, “Or when Father lets you leave the Fortress.”_

_“Maybe…” Eliza looked down at the book in her lap, "But I’m 17… That should count for something.”_

Eliza felt a hand grip her arm, pulling her back with a jolt, breaking her out of her thoughts. Her feet had led her outside. She stood at the beginning of the stone path that lay over a pond and realized with panic that she had nearly walked straight into the water.

"Be more careful.” a voice sounded behind her, and she turned around swiftly to see Takumi, his hold on her arm tight, pulling her back from the pond.

“I- Prince Takumi!” she stared at him in surprise. And nervousness. The last time they had spoken had been nearly a week ago when he had made it _very_  clear he didn’t trust her one bit. Didn’t view her as his ‘supposed’ sister. When Sakura would give her a soft yet nervous smile, and Hinoka would talk animatedly about something, and she would see him _staring_ , from the corner of her eye, his expression always neutral, even when no one else was in the vicinity. Though his eyes had contempt and loathing always _inherent_ in them, in those moments.   

But there were times when she would catch him staring at her from across the room and he’d turn away. She thought she saw something else in those instances. Something other than suspicion and scorn.

It was the same look he was giving her now, and Eliza realized embarrassingly that she had been staring into his amber eyes, her mouth agape. She immediately yanked her arm out of his grasp with a flow of apologies and stumbled backwards… into the pond behind her. She landed with a splash and looked up at Takumi who stared at her with stunned silence. Eliza despairingly realized that water had splashed all over him.

“I'm so sorry!” as if she needed to give him more reasons to dislike her. He sighed.

“Come on.” he held out his hand, and after a confused glance, Eliza took the offered hand and stood up all too quickly. That had been a mistake, she began to realize as she began slipping back into the pond. _Oh no._ Was the thought that flashed in her mind when she unintentionally dragged Takumi with her. All she could do was stare with increasing horror at what she had done. This was the end for her. Her life was over. She began spilling out apologies, her head bowed until she heard a laugh.

She looked up to see Takumi was _smiling_. Not only that but _laughing_.

“You don't need to keep apologizing.” he stood up and helped her up as well. “I actually- I wanted to apologize for what I said to you last week. It was rude and uncalled for. I'm sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” she said with a shake of her head, “What you said was understandable, and I don’t blame you for it. Even if I am your sister, I grew up as the daughter of a King who killed your father. Anyone would have said those things in your position.” she smiled, “I'm just glad you're talking to me.” Takumi stared at her with a confused look before turning away, and Eliza swore she saw his face tinged pink. _Was he-_ “Are you embarrassed, Prince Takumi?"

“N-No!” his voice cracked. He was definitely embarrassed. “W-We should go and change before dinner.” he glanced at her and began to walk away, “Mother will worry if she sees us like this." Eliza stared at him, dumbfounded, before smiling to herself and catching up to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first Fire Emblem: Fates fic that I'm actually pretty proud of. I have other ones I've written but I've never published them.  
> Eliza is my MU and I love her a lot (also I love her with Silas).  
> I honestly wrote this just as a fuck you to instys because I get irrationally upset and angry about a lot of things with fates  
> thanks for reading~


	2. Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza becomes more comfortable as her stay in Hoshido extends, though she is still uneasy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, set between chapter 4 and 5 of fates  
> I included a pic of Eliza cause I realized I didn't bother to explain what she looks like

 

Eliza had taken to hiding in her room in Castle Shirasagi after the incident with the pond. She didn’t want to chance falling off a flight of stairs just because she was lost in thought. Queen Mikoto, after discovering Eliza had a keen interest in books, had taken the opportunity to bond with her, giving her a variety of books, many historical ones.

Growing up isolated in a fortress with few for company made Eliza find comfort in the books she received from her siblings. She loved tales of woe and romance, but historical ones were her favorite, though she grew tired of reading about the history of Nohr over the years. She was happy to have books on the history of Hoshido and had thanked the queen a number of times for them. She had never been able to read books on Hoshido in the Northern Fortress. She had begged and pleaded to her father, but he did not comply, instead prohibiting such books.

Her stomach growled, and Eliza remembered she had missed dinner, far too engrossed in the history books she had been given. She slipped out of her room, book in hand, and made her way to the kitchens. It had been the first place Hinoka had shown her. Perhaps one of the servants would be willing to make her something to eat.

“Eliza?” Eliza jumped, turning around so fast she slipped and nearly fell down the flight of stairs. A hand had caught her, saving her from her fall.

“Prince Ryoma!” Eliza looked up to see the First Prince of Hoshido, staring down at her with a look Eliza couldn’t distinguish. She suddenly felt very small standing in front of him tugged her arm out of his grasp and fidgeted. “I- Thank you for catching me.”

“It’s no problem, but please try to be more careful.” Ryoma advised, “I heard from Takumi you fell into the pond the other day.”

“Y-Yes…” she immediately felt embarrassed. “I was lost in thought and wasn't paying attention to where I was going.”

“A lot on your mind?”

She laughed nervously. “You could say that.”

“We missed you at dinner.”

“I’m sorry.” she apologized, but she didn't exactly know why she was apologizing. It was a reflex of hers, to apologize for anything she did. “I was reading a book and I forgot all about dinner.”

“I can ask one of the servants to send food to your room if you’d like.”

“You don’t have to-”

“It’s no trouble.” Ryoma shook his head with a small smile, “It would put my mind at ease to know you’re in your room, and not about to fall down another flight of stairs.”

“I- Thank you, Prince Ryoma.” Eliza returned to her room and sat at the desk. She opened the book she had been holding, but her mind couldn’t focus on the text. She was more prone to become lost in her thoughts due to recent events.

It had been nearly three weeks since she had come to stay in Hoshido, and while she could truly say she loved and enjoyed every waking moment of it, she thought of Nohr, her other siblings. Did they know where she was? Had they heard of her capture? If so, why hadn’t anyone come to rescue her? These thoughts had plagued her mind the first week she had been in Hoshido, and she had debated on trying to escape. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to complete the action though. Something about the way Queen Mikoto looked at her so tenderly, with love and kindness and absolute affection Eliza recognized from the many books she read as a child. It was the way a mother should look at her children. That was what made her stay.

That was part of the reason at least.

In Hoshido she was free to walk where she wished. Not like in Nohr, where she was cooped up in a fortress, not allowed to join her sisters on walks by the lake, nor allowed to accompany her brothers on a leisurely horse ride. Confined and isolated in the fortress.

She had hated almost every moment of being trapped in the fortress. Why was it she that had to be in the fortress when Leo and Elise, both younger than her, were allowed to travel freely? She had always found it unfair, and now she knew the reason.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. “Ah, come in!” Eliza expected a servant that Ryoma had sent over and nearly jumped out of her seat at the site of Queen Mikoto entering her room, holding a tray of food. “Queen Mikoto!”

“Hello.” the queen smiled, and Eliza rushed to take the tray from her, setting it down on the desk. “Ryoma told me you were in need of something to eat.”

“Yes but- you didn't have to-”

“I wanted to.” she kept her kind smile, “You look as if you’re feeling better.”

“I am, yes.” Eliza shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Thank you again for the books.”

“How are you finding them?”

“Wonderful. I didn't know there were legendary weapons here in Hoshido.”

“Yes. Your brothers both wield one of the weapons. Takumi the Fujin Yumi, and Ryoma the Raijinto.”

“Amazing! Xander and Leo also-” Eliza’s hands flew to her mouth immediately, her eyes wide at her own words. She had avoided talking about her Nohrian siblings during her stay in Hoshido, not wanting to make conversation awkward due to the animosity towards Nohr that many in the castle had.

The queen didn't seem fazed at all by her words, “They are the Princes of Nohr, yes?”

“...They are.”

“Please, don't feel you have to avoid talking about them. Especially around me. I don't want you to be anxious because of us. I’ll leave you to eat, and I hope to see you in the morning.”

“Um-” the queen turned to her, a hand on the doorknob. Eliza moved towards her and gave her a quick hug, “Th-thank you… Mother.” the queen’s look of surprise changed into a loving smile.

She kissed her forehead, “Good night, my dear Eliza.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I wanted this to be Eliza bonding with Ryoma, but I wasn't sure how to go about it, plus I just can't seem to write for Ryoma.  
> This chapter is short, with Eliza kinda talking to Mikoto and Ryoma  
> I also ended up making a bunch of AUs involving Eliza with Silas so... I might post those separately  
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Dear Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza arrives at Fort Jinya and reunites with an old friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during chapter 7 of Birthright  
> I also made up some stuff about magic cause it's... not really explained in the game...

Eliza stood at the base of the large cherry blossom tree, where the grave of former King Sumeragi sat. She had been in Hoshido for a month now and had found herself unable to approach the grave of her birth father until recently. Eliza hadn’t felt that she had the right to after all but… she knelt down and placed a small bouquet of flowers on the King’s grave.

“Thank you… both of you, for giving your life to protect me.” she placed the other bouquet she had onto the grave of Queen Mikoto… her mother. “I’m sorry, Mother. I’m sorry for not remembering until now.” she sighed, “I wish you were here. I-I feel so lost... I know that choosing to stay and fight for Hoshido was the right thing but-...” she thought back to her other family. Her Nohrian family. “I do not wish to fight them.”

“Eliza?” she looked over her shoulder to see Sakura approaching her with small steps. “We missed you at dinner.”

“Sorry.” she apologized, “I thought it was time for me to visit them.” the girl sat down next to her.

“A-Are you okay?”

“I-... I’m not sure anymore.” she sighed, “I just feel so lost and unsure of things now. I didn’t feel that way back in Nohr, and when I arrived here and Mother died…”

“Do you… regret staying here?” Sakura asked with worry, her brow furrowed, as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her yukata.

“Of course not.” Eliza shook her head, “I truly feel happier here than I did in Nohr. I’m not trapped in a fortress, wondering when I'll be able to leave. Wondering if my ‘father’ ever loved me...”

“I-I know it wasn’t easy. To leave the family that raised you, b-but I’m glad you did!” she smiled hesitantly, “Because we get to be a family again.”

Eliza smiled back, giving her sister a one-armed hug. “I won’t leave you guys ever again. I promise.”

 

Eliza really hadn’t expected a battle right when she and Azura had arrived at Fort Jinya. Like Sakura had said, the fort was being used as a makeshift hospital, with no military target there.

“Ho, Eliza! Is that really you?” she was surprised to hear a voice call out to her among the Nohrian soldiers.

“Who’s asking?” she called out in suspicion.

“Yes, that’s the voice I remember.” Eliza pinpointed the voice, coming from a Nohrian on horseback, the one leading the troops. Eliza was hit by a sense of familiarity when she stared at the knight, clad in black armor, with gray hair and green eyes. But it was impossible. She had never seen him ever in her life. “It **is** really you!” the knight came forward.

“Please, drop the act. We don’t know each other.”

“You honestly don't remember? It's me, Silas! We were best friends as children.” she most definitely didn't remember _that._

“I don’t remember much, I’m afraid.”

“Eliza.” Azura spoke, “Please be careful. This could be a trap of some sort.”

“I promise that I’m telling the truth.” he had a pained expression on his face, “However, it seems we are destined to clash swords regardless of our past… Don't take this personally. I'm just following orders from King Garon…”

Eliza, with the help of Felicia, Azura, Kaze, Sakura, Hana, and Subaki, were able to fend off the Nohrian soldiers, allowing Eliza to confront Silas.

“It's been too long, Eliza. I never imagined we'd reunite under these circumstances. I became a knight in hopes of seeing you again, but…”

“Silas…” she felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, but I simply don’t remember my past.”

“That’s ok.” Silas smiled, despite the fact that they were going to fight one another. “You can still come back to Nohr with me. It’s not too late.”

“I-” Nohr, the place she had grown up, with fond memories of Elise and the others… “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you’re wrong Silas.” she held up the Yato, “I’m past the point of no return.”

“...It didn’t have to be this way.” and they fought, with Eliza easily defeating him. As if he hadn’t been trying at all. “Go on. Kill me.” he was slumped on the ground, his eyes closed. It didn’t sit well with Eliza, killing someone. Especially one who had supposedly been her best friend as a child, though her memory was still a bit hazy. But what reason would he have to lie to her about such a thing?

“Lady Eliza?” Felicia spoke, “What do you propose we do?”

“...Does the fort have prison cells?”

“It does,” Subaki answered.

“Take him there then.” she instructed, “I-I need time to think… Just give me an hour.” Azura placed a hand on her shoulder before ordering a few Hoshidon soldiers to take Silas to the prison cells. Azura gestured for the others to go back into the fort, leaving Eliza outside, alone with her thoughts.

Silas… Who was he? She didn’t recall having a friend named Silas. And if she had, surely Camilla or Leo would have mentioned him at one point as she grew older.

“Eliza?” she looked over her shoulder from where she sat on the steps of the fort to see Azura standing at the entrance.

“Azura.” Eliza gave her a warm smile, “Is something wrong?”

“I was asked by Sakura to bring you inside to heal your wounds. You’ve been outside for nearly two hours already.”

Eliza winced. Had it really been two hours? It felt as if no time had passed at all. “I’m sorry. I’ll be inside soon. I just-... I’ve been trying to remember him, Silas...” she sighed dejectedly, “I don’t understand… if I really did know him as a child why can’t I remember who he is?”

“Maybe talking to him more might help.” Azura sat down beside her, “I do not know your past with him, but seeing as he is the person with these claims, perhaps he can explain.”

 

Eliza stepped into the cell, where Silas sat on the floor. She had told the guards to leave her alone with him, and that she would call for help if needed. The first thing she noticed was that although he had been stripped of his armor, his injuries had not been taken care of yet.

“Did they not heal all your injuries?” Eliza asked as she knelt down beside him, to which he shook his head. She would have a word with the healers. Just because he was a prisoner did not mean he shouldn’t be healed. She noticed he had a hand on his left side, where she could see blood seeping through his shirt. “Let me see your wound.” he moved his hand, and Eliza saw a hole in his shirt, where his wound was bandaged. _At least they had somewhat taken care of one of his wounds._ “Does it hurt?”

“A bit.”

“May I…?” she lifted his shirt and removed the bandages, seeing the bloody wound. She held back a grimace. Had she been the one to cause that? If she had she certainly was regretting it.

Eliza had learned a bit about healing magic, particularly without a healing staff, but she wasn’t very confident in her abilities. Healing magic was difficult and could worsen one’s injuries if the user was inexperienced. Even Leo had trouble with it. Still, she had to try. “Hold still for a moment.” she placed both hands on his wound and closed her eyes in concentration. After a few moments, she heard Silas hiss in pain. She opened her eyes and removed her hands. The wound was closed up, seeming to have stopped bleeding.

“How did you-’

“I taught myself a bit of healing magic when I was younger,” she said. “It helps when you accidentally injure yourself, though I can’t do anything for myself if I have a serious injury. Plus, it doesn’t work all the time… Silas, you were hesitant to attack us earlier, even as you led your army into battle. Why were you holding back?” she asked, but he was silent. “Was it- was it because we were friends?” he sighed, closing his eyes. “Aren’t you here on King Garon’s orders? Did you ever intend to defeat us?”

“Eliza…” he opened his eyes and stared back at her, an intensity in his green eyes rivaling her own red ones. “Some things are more important than following orders.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I value an oath I made long ago far more than my own life…” he shook his head, “I still can’t believe you don’t remember. We used to play together, and you always said how badly you wanted to see the world…”

“I-...” now that he mentioned it, she was beginning to recall a far distant memory, the cogs in her head beginning to turn, slowly but surely.  “A picnic outside the fortress…”

“Yes! That’s it! I even packed your favorite meal: Surf and turf! Do you remember?”

Eliza returned his smile, “I’m… beginning to remember bits and pieces…” the memory of the picnic was becoming clearer in her mind, but there were other memories still a bit foggy. “I was so happy to be outside the walls.”

“I knew taking you beyond the walls was forbidden, but…” he trailed off, “I also knew how much it would mean to you. The guards tried to execute me when we returned but you wouldn’t let them do it.”

She remembered. She remembered crying, hugging Silas as she had refused to let him go to be executed. “I couldn’t let them kill you for helping me explore outside the walls that bound me. We were children.”

“You saved my life long ago.” he took her hand, despite the blood from his wounds on her palm, and kissed the back of it, causing her to blush. “It belongs to you, Eliza. Do as you must.”

“Silas-” she felt herself choke up at his words. Gods. Her lost memories of her friend were crashing down on her now. Fond memories of playing together. Laughing and crying together… There was so much she wanted to ask him, but one thing stood out the most. Something that surpassed those memories. “...Did you know that I’m not truly a Nohrian Princess?”

“What do you mean?” by his confused expression, Eliza could tell that he hadn’t known, and she relaxed a little.

“...I was kidnapped as a child by King Garon after he killed King Sumeragi… my real father... King Garon sealed away my early memories and made me his child.”

“I’m so sorry Eliza.”

“And Xander…” she looked down, “He knew all along that I was a Princess of Hoshido. I can never forgive him for keeping something like that from me. Silas… I have a proposal for you.” she looked at him again, but she was hesitant about what she was going to say next, “...Join forces with me.” his face, to say the least, was shocked.

“I know you are a knight of Nohr, and you may not believe what I'm about to say… But...” she took a deep breath. “King Garon has gone absolutely mad. He gave me a cursed sword and sent me off to be captured by the Hoshidans. Knowing that I would be brought before my mother.” the thought of her mother brought tears to her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. _Breathe Eliza_. “She was killed when the sword exploded. I would have been too if she hadn’t protected me...”

“I… I don’t believe it.”

“He wants to escalate this conflict into a full-blown war. I can’t forgive his actions against Hoshido, and I will never return to Nohr as it’s princess, but as a traitor.” Silas was silent, and Eliza feared she had said too much. She didn’t want to kill him. If he rejected her proposal, she would let him go, though she was sure others would not be keen on the idea of letting a Nohrian go. “I’m sorry… you must think I’m manipulating you. If you say no I will let you go back to Nohr freely.”

“No, Eliza… I believe you.” he took her hands, “You’ve spared my life twice now. I have no reason to doubt your story.”

“Then you will join us?”

He nodded his head, “Yes. Perhaps together we can bring peace to this world someday.” she couldn’t help but smile.

“That is my aim, Silas. I promise that I will never deviate from the cause.”

“Lady Eliza.” Eliza turned around to see Kaze, staring at her with a raised brow. She quickly pulled her hands out of Silas’.

“Is something wrong Kaze?”

“Lady Azura and Lady Sakura are asking for you.” she stood up, turning to Silas and held out her hand, “Coming?”

“Yes.” she helped him up and they followed Kaze. They walked through the halls of the fort, passing soldiers and healers. Many of who sent them dirty looks, likely directed at Silas, who walked at her side. “I don’t think I’m liked very much.”

“If you think you’re not liked much wait until you meet my brother. Takumi is very… cautious, shall we say. I don’t even think he likes _me_.” it was understandable though. She grew up in Nohr, the Kingdom that kept trying to relentlessly attack Hoshido. Though he had been warming up to her during her stay in Hoshido, he had gone back to animosity when their mother had died. She could hardly blame him though.

They came to the entrance of the fort, where Azura and Sakura were, along with a man and woman she didn’t recognize. Eliza immediately noticed Azura comforting a distraught Sakura, and that caused her to worry.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ryoma and Takumi have gone missing.” Azura answered, “They were last seen headed to Izumo, but we have no clue as to where they are.”

“Pardon me-” the woman addressed her, “You must be Lady Eliza, yes? I'm Orochi. I used to serve as a diviner for Lady Mikoto.” she explained, “It seems it would serve a common purpose for our army to join forces. Our tactician, Yukimura, is readying the troops to march on Izumo. Time is of the essence! Will you join us in search of Lord Ryoma and Lord Takumi?”

“Yes, of course. We'll support you in any way that we can.”

“Thank you, Eliza.”

“I’m coming with you.” Sakura had recomposed herself, and she had a look of determination on her face.

“Lady Sakura,” Kaze began, “I strongly recommend that you reconsider. The battlefield near the border is highly dangerous, and-”

“I don't care!” she cut him off. “I can't just stay here and do nothing. If there's anything I can do to help my brothers, I need to be in position to do it.”

“I’m afraid I agree with Kaze, Sakura. But I won’t try and stop you. I just hope you understand the risks.”

“Thank you, Eliza. I do.” Eliza turned to Silas, who had stood at her side quietly, not having uttered a word during the exchange. He seemed to be deep in thought.

“Silas?” her voice seemed to bring him out of his daze. “You don’t have to join us if you don’t wish to.”

“No, I want to. I just didn't expect to be pressed into service this quickly…”

“You can't be serious.” Eliza turned to the other ninja, who she recognized from seeing around in Castle Shirasagi, “You'd really allow this backstabbing Nohrian scum to accompany us.” Eliza instinctively moved to stand in front of Silas.

“This is not your call, Saizo.” said Kaze, “And besides, if we abandon him here, he dies. That is not the Hoshidan way.”

“Is the Hoshidan way to allow a potential spy access to our party? I will follow Eliza’s lead… for now. But I will keep my eyes wide open.”

“Saizo!” Orochi gasped, seeming ready to scold the ninja. Eliza herself wanted to push past Orochi and defend Silas, but the knight’s hand grasped her arm, holding her back. She glanced back at him, and he merely shook his head, as if to say it was fine. Eliza sighed and turned to Azura, informing her they would leave in half an hour, and to help get supplied and ready for the journey they had ahead. She’d speak with Silas later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter I actually wrote before the previous two, and I really like how it turned out!  
> But yeah love at first sight for these two as stated in their s-support, though seeing as Eliza was isolated in a fortress for the majority of her life, she doesn't realize it.  
> Birthright was the first route I played, and tbh it was love at first sight when I saw Silas in chapter 7  
> Also, he's three of my favorite troupes in one. Knight, the childhood friend, and love at first sight.  
> My dumb ass fell in love with him hard


	4. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza and Silas have a conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between chapters 14 and 16 of Birthright

Eliza was glad to rest for a bit in the resistance safehouse. After introductions with Scarlet, Eliza talked with her and Ryoma, planning on where to go next and what to do. She excused herself from the conversation, noticing that Silas had slipped out of the room. She went into the hallway and entered the only room that had a door wide open.

 _There he is._ Silas sat atop a barrel in what seemed to be a storage room, turned away from the door. “Silas?” she called out to him but saw no indication of being heard. _How did he not hear me…?_  “Silas!” she called out louder, “Is something troubling you?” she tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to yelp and… fall off the barrel.

“E-Eliza!” he stared at her in shock and scrambled to stand up. “M-my heart… don't do that to a guy!”

“I’m sorry!” she couldn't help but laugh, “But you seemed miles away, I was a bit worried when you didn’t respond.”

“W-well… You see… I was thinking about how much you've changed since we were little.”

“That's to be expected isn't it?” she noticed how he seemed different. Almost nervous. “But how different was I then?”

“Well… Not so much in personality, but…” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “You're a lot... prettier.”

“Huh?!” was the first word she could utter from her state of embarrassment. _Pretty?_ Had she heard him right? “I- You think I’m… pretty?”

“Yeah… it was the first thing that struck me upon our reunion.”

“O-Oh.” she was flattered by his words. They made her incredibly happy. “But, you never mentioned it before.”

“How could I?! How could I tell you it was love at first sight…” Eliza felt her heart stop.

“D-did you just say... love?!” she could feel the heat rising in her face. She must have heard him wrong. She had to.

“When we were young, you were my best friend and constant playmate. But now we're adults, and... you've grown into quite the lady.” he confessed, “The shock of seeing you this way was an arrow right through the heart. But I was so overjoyed to see you that it took time to realize what I was feeling. There's no mistaking it anymore, though. I love you, Eliza.” he sighed, “So typical of me to fall in love at first sight and take weeks to realize it.”

“Silas…”

“Look, I know you're out of my league. I hope we can at least stay friends. If I can't be with you, I at least want to keep fighting at your side.” his eyes were downcast, looking away from her as if he anticipated her to reject him outright. She felt distressed at his expression, desperately wanting to see him give her a smile, the few smiles reserved for her.

“D-Don’t say that.” Eliza stepped forward and took his hand carefully, “I… have those same feelings for you.”

“You do?!” his eyes shot up to stare at her, speechless.

She nodded her head, “Ever since our paths crossed again... I might not have remembered who you were, but I still felt drawn to you.” she stared down at their hands, “For a while, I thought that was our old friendship surfacing again... But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized that wasn't it at all.”

“...I suppose you could say it was love at first sight for me too."

“Eliza…” he brought his free hand up to her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Eliza placed her hand over his, holding it against her cheek. She closed her eyes and sighed in content. In that moment, there was no war. It was just her and him. Eliza and Silas. Two people in love.

When she opened her eyes, she could see how tenderly his green eyes gazed at her. Full of love and warmth. So vibrant...

A violent noise, almost akin to an explosion sounded outside, causing Silas and Eliza to jump apart. “What-” Eliza shrieked as the room shook violently.

“Eliza!” Silas swiftly caught her in his arms before she fell, and the shaking ended moments later. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. What was that?”

“I don't know. But we should check on the others.”

“But-” as worried as she was for her siblings and friends, Eliza very much wanted to continue her conversation with Silas.

“After we find out what's going on, we'll talk more.” Silas pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she sighed before nodding her head and following him out the room.

 

“We should leave in the morning. Takumi needs to rest and recover from his fever.” Ryoma stated, and Eliza nodded her head in agreement. While she didn't like the idea of staying in Macarath, where Iago knew where they were, she worried over Takumi's health. Eliza stepped outside the room and made her way to the villa gardens she had seen before. The garden though wasn’t much of a garden. There were dead plants and barren trees in the small ‘garden’. That paired with the stormy sky made her melancholy.

“Eliza?” she turned to see Silas had followed her out into the garden. “Want some company?” if it had been anyone else, Eliza was almost certain she’d turn down their company. But because it was Silas and their… whatever they were, needed to be discussed, she nodded her head, and he came and stood close to her. “We haven’t had a chance to talk by ourselves in a while.” Silas broke the silence, and Eliza agreed.

Since Cheve, there was rarely a moment where Eliza wasn’t constantly needed by others. For war tactics and planning which route to take. It was only a few precious moments Eliza was alone with Silas before either of them were called away. There were still the lingering touches, the kisses to her hands, the knowing stares from across the way when others were around.

“I think Azura suspects there’s something going on between us.”

“She is very observant.” Eliza commented with a sigh, “What do we call this?” she gestured at themselves. “What is our… relationship?”

“Well, I would like to court you properly, once this is all over,” Silas admitted, taking her hand to kiss it. “Though I don’t know how different Hoshidon courting is from Nohrian courting.”

“You would court me?” Eliza felt herself blush, though she found herself beaming at the thought of becoming engaged to Silas in the future.

“If you’d allow me to.”

“Of course I would.” she kissed his cheek, and his face lit up.

“Does this mean we can be a couple?”

Eliza smiled brightly, her face warm despite the chill in the air. “Of course! There’s no one else I’d rather be with. It’s you and me… forever.”

“Agreed!” Silas laughed and picked her up in his arms, spinning her around and Eliza bubbled with laughter. “I’ll never let anyone take you away from me ever again!”

“Promise?” they had stopped spinning, but Silas still held her in his arms.

“On my honor, as a knight. I love you, Eliza.”

"And I love you, Silas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm... not good a writing romance... but I tried my best and I think this turned out pretty good, at least for my standards. And I have pretty low standards when it comes to writing romance  
> I probably should have expanded more on their relationship, but I realized there's not much time to really get to know others when fighting a war. At least that's what I think.  
> I also just wanted to post this chapter cause I love ElizaxSilas a whole lot and want to share them with the world  
> I'll also mention other pairings... probably...


	5. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza meets the Nohrian siblings for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before the events of Fates, with Eliza being around seven years old.

Eliza remembered little of her life before meeting her siblings. Her father, King Garon of Nohr, had told her it was the result of an accident that had caused her to lose her early memories. He didn't explain any further, nor on the fate of her mother, and she didn't ask any questions.

She was a quiet and polite child. Attentive, yet obedient. She would spend most of her time reading in the fortress library, where the servants would bring her tea and snacks. She had dolls to play with, but no one to play with her. And what fun was it to play alone?

Her father rarely visited, and when he did, it was only to make sure she was behaving and keeping up with her studies. He would stay for an hour or two before leaving.

“I look forward to your next visit, Father.” Eliza curtseyed in front of King Garon, They stood at the entrance of the fortress. Her inside, and King Garon outside. As it always had been.

“The next time I visit, you will be meeting with your brothers and sisters.”

“My-?” Eliza stared at him with confusion.

“I expect to hear better results from your teachers by then as well,” he stated. “Until my next visit Eliza.”

“Goodbye, Father.” the doors shut, and Eliza could only stare at them with confusion.

Brothers and sisters? She recalled them being mentioned by her father at least once, but she didn't think she'd meet them so soon.

 

Eliza examined herself in the mirror. She was dressed up nicer than usual, her black hair sitting atop her head in two neat buns. Her white collar blouse tied off at the sleeves with lavender ribbons, her grey skirt neat and tied with a white bow at the back, and her black low heeled shoes clean and polished.

Today would be the day. A letter had arrived the day before from the King, stating they would be arriving at noon today. By they, he had meant her siblings. ‘Half-siblings’, she had learned from the servants. An older brother and sister, and a younger brother and sister. Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise. She had scribbled their names down the moment she had heard them. She was very anxious to meet them.

Eliza heard the faint but familiar sounds of horse and carriage and rushed to her window, pushing the curtains aside. Past the fortress walls, she could see a familiar horse and carriage pull to a stop in front of the fortress, though there were two this time, accompanied by a barrage of royal guards. More than when her father usually visited.

Out of the second carriage stepped a blond boy, older than Eliza. After him came out a young blonde girl, then an older girl with purple hair, than a younger blond boy. She turned away from the window and sat down on her bed, tugging at her skirt, tapping her foot nervously.

A knock sounded on her door and was opened by a maid, who informed her of the arrival of her family. She followed the maid downstairs to the entryway, where King Garon and her half-siblings stood. The maid announced her, and Eliza felt all eyes on her as she descended the stairs and went to greet her family. After a formal introduction, the King left them to speak with her teachers.

Eliza racked her brain for something to talk about, but her ever-increasing anxiety only made her despair and fidget uncomfortably at the stares of her half-siblings. Especially at the scrutinizing stare the eldest gave her.

“Eliza?”

“Yes?” Camilla gave her a soft smile that made her relax ever so slightly. She held out a small gift box.

“From all of us to you. A present.” Eliza could only stare in confusion as she took the box from her. She carefully opened the lid and was surprised to see a lovely hair ornament. It was silver, with jeweled flowers colored in blues and white.

“It's beautiful.” Eliza looked up at them with a smile. “Thank you.”

“We also made you this!” Elise held out a white box, lifting the lid to reveal a nicely decorated cake.

“Thank you all so much.” she bowed deeply. “We can eat this with some tea in the parlor. I'll call for the maids to prepare it for us.”

Conversation and tea with her siblings was pleasant. Camilla and Elise spoke fervently to her, with Leo interjecting every so often. Xander rarely spoke, speaking with one worded answers and nodding his head.

Eliza was convinced he didn't like her.

“Where’d you get that necklace?” Elise asked her, pointing at the thin silver chain around her neck that she had been fiddling with nervously. Eliza held up the necklace, a pretty little sapphire, with wooden beads on either side of it, each with a strange symbol she had never seen before.

“Ah. I've had it for as long as I can remember.” which admittedly, wasn’t that long. But it was one of the only possessions she seemed to have had when she had awoken from whatever had caused her to lose her memories, along with her clothes.

King Garon had wanted her to dispose of it immediately when he had seen it peeking out from underneath her coat a month after her recovery, and she had done so, only to fish it out of the trash when his back was turned. She kept it tucked away and hidden from sight whenever he visited and made sure to keep her hands still, or at least occupied them when she had the urge to fiddle with it.

“I don’t know what these strange symbols on it are though.”

“I don’t recognize it either.” Camilla commented, “Leo?” the young boy shook his head.

“May I see?” Eliza was startled by Xander’s request, but obliged, taking the necklace off and handing it to the other. He examined the necklace, turning it over in his hand and tracing the carved symbols with a finger.

“Does it look familiar to you, Xander?” the eldest sister inquired.

“The symbols I recognize.”

“Do you know what it says?” Eliza leaned forward in her seat with anticipation, her voice a bit too eager. She hadn’t dared ask any of the servants, worried they would report her curiosity (and the necklace) to the King. But now, there was a chance someone could tell her something about it. The one link she had to her memories.

Eliza noticed her siblings staring, and that she not only had been leaning in the edge of her seat, but she had also knocked over her cup of tea, which was spilling onto the floor. She flushed in embarrassment as Camilla called over a maid to clean the tea, and Xander looked at her with a raised brow.

“I’m unable to read it, but the symbols are from that of Hoshido.” he handed the necklace back to her, and Eliza clasped it around her neck, relieved at the familiar cool feel of it.

“What is Hoshido?”

“A kingdom to the east of Nohr.” Xander answered, “One that we are currently at war with.”

“Maybe her mother was from Hoshido,” Leo suggested, and Eliza could only fiddle with the necklace. She wanted to ask more questions, but the looks on both her older siblings faces at the mention of Hoshido told her that she would get no answers from the two.

Elise, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere, spoke up. “You said there’s a library?"

Eliza nodded her head, “I spend most of my time there reading.”

“Let’s go!” Elise grabbed her hand and led them to the library, after leading them to rooms that weren't the library and eventually letting Eliza give directions after walking around in circles.

In the time Eliza had lived in the fortress, she had converted the library into a sort of second room for herself. Well, it was more of a corner of the library she had made into a makeshift nook, with blankets and pillows to cushion her as she read.

She would often go there to read in the middle of the night when she was plagued with nightmares. Of deaths of faces she didn’t recognize but felt familiar to her all the same. She barely remembered the details of them, but she awoke afraid and crying all the same. Sometimes though, she would dream of a large tree blooming with beautiful pink flowers, continuously falling. She would be standing there, by herself, and a voice would call her name. When she would turn around, the person’s face would be obscured by flowers. She would run up to them and the dream would end.

Elise insisted that Eliza show her her favorite books, and when they returned to the others, they held a collection of books in their arms. “These are certainly a lot of books,” Camilla commented as she picked one up. “What is this one about?”

“That’s-” it was a short story, the book smaller than the abundance of larger books on the table. “Sky and Sea. It’s about the God of the Sky and the Goddess of the Sea falling in love.” Elise grabbed the book from Camilla and stared at it intensely.

“Xander!” Elise held the book out to the first prince, who sat in an armchair beside Leo, who was already engrossed in one of the books. “Can you read this to us?” the eldest shared a glance with Camilla, and he took the book carefully.

“Once upon a time…” Elise settled down beside Camilla, who smiled softly, and Leo glanced at Xander as he read every so often. Eliza sat on the rug as she listened. Reading to herself was different than hearing another read aloud to her. She found that she preferred this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should write more shorts about ElizaSilas but... I like poking fun at plotholes and filling them with my own headcanons  
> The more I write about Eliza's interactions with the Nohrian siblings, the less I dislike them. I still prefer the Hoshido siblings (especially sense they're not completely senseless like a certain nohrian prince)  
> I enjoyed writing this, and since I finished kingdom hearts 3 I sneaked in a sora/kairi reference cause I'm very upset still about the ending  
> Hope you enjoyed!


	6. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza hates boats and almost dies. Also, Silas almost confesses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during chapter 11 of Birthright  
> This was supposed to be posted along with the confession scene but I forgot cause I'm dumb.

Eliza was beginning to think the world wanted her dead. Once the boat to Nohr had set sail, she had immediately felt seasick. She had never been on a boat in her entire life, and she couldn’t wait for them to reach Nohr.

Then there had been a freak storm and they were attacked by spirits coming out of the water. That was great.

“Look out!” Eliza hadn’t heard the warning, nor had she seen the spirit coming up behind her. She felt something sharp stab through her body and heard Sakura scream her name. She looked down to see the end of a sword protruding from her side. The sword was pulled out and blood seeped through her clothes. That's when the pain flooded her senses. It was a hot, searing pain, sharp but excruciating. She fell to the floor, a hand clutching her left abdomen where she had been stabbed. She was having difficulty breathing. She saw the spirit loom over her, his sword raised above her. She shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable, but opened her eyes when nothing came. Her sight was blurring, but she could see black armor as they hurriedly picked her up.

“Eliza! Hey! Stay with me old friend!” Eliza kept her eyes shut, muttering something incoherent to her savior, focusing on the familiar and comforting voice. Everything else, the shouting and clash of swords, was muffled. Only the voice stood out to her.

Eliza opened her eyes tiredly as she was placed down on a bed, her head propped up by a pillow. Silas was at her side, his green eyes full of worry and concern.

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired…” she mumbled. “Numb...” she felt numb from the pain, despite the wound bleeding profusely under her hand.

“That’s not good.” he looked over his shoulder. “Get a healer!” he turned back to her, “You’re gonna be okay Eliza.”

“Hmm… your eyebrows always get scrunched together when you’re worried.” she muttered, “It’s cute.”

“I’m here.” a healer came to them. “Let me see.” she moved her hand, revealing a stain of blood in the place her armor didn’t cover her clothes. “Help me get her armor off.” Eliza half-consciously wiggled out of her armor painfully with Silas’ help. The healer lifted the bottom of her shirt to reveal the bleeding wound left behind from the sword.

"She’s losing blood. Here.” the healer handed a cloth to Silas. “Press this against her wound.” Silas did as told and Eliza shut her eyes, hissing in pain as she tried to move under his hands.

"Hold still. Eliza- _look at me_." she stared up at him, her eyes focusing on his."You need to hold still, please." he pleaded and Eliza would have laughed at the awkward please at the end if he didn't look so worried and panicked. And if she wasn't in pain. Silas turned to the Healer. “Can’t you use your staff to heal her instantly?!”

“My staff broke in battle!” the healer snapped, obviously irritated.

“Where are the other healers?!”

“In _battle_! Even if I had my staff, or one of the others could come down to help, we’d need to stop the bleeding first.”

“How?”

“Cauterizing it.”

“That’s-!” Eliza didn’t need to see his face. She could hear the discomfort in the knight’s voice, and she decided that whatever cauterizing was, she didn’t like it, nor want it.

“Do you want me to heal her or not?!” a beat.

“Do it.”

“Make her drink this first.” Silas was handed a vial.

“Eliza-” Silas, with one hand pressing the cloth against her wound, used the other to hold up a small vial of a blue liquid. “You need to drink this.” if Eliza was in a more coherent state, she would have refused. But she was in pain, and something about Silas was so _soothing_ and kind and she knew she could entrust her life to him. She drank the bitter liquid and in moments began to realize how tired she was.

“Tired…” Eliza muttered. She wanted to sleep.

“That worked faster than I thought.”

“What did she drink!?”

“A sleeping potion. It was a small dose so she should wake up in a few hours.”

“But-”

“Let her sleep. It’ll be easier to tend to her wounds if she’s unconscious and not moving around.” the healer turned to him, “You should get back on deck with the others.”

“No.” she gripped Silas’ hand. “Stay here…” he shared a glance with the Healer, who merely shrugged.

“I won’t leave your side.” he leaned forward, kissing her forehead, and Eliza closed her eyes.

When Eliza had awoken, she saw the room was dimly lit, and she could see glimmers of the night sky peeking through the portholes on the ocean waves. She heard someone walk to her room, and saw Silas through the dim lighting. Eliza wasn’t sure he saw her.

“Silas?” she called out his name in almost a whisper, her voice hoarse.

“Eliza.” he rushed to her and knelt down at her bedside. “Are you alright?”

She swallowed thickly. She was thirsty, but Silas’ presence and her want to keep talking with him pushed the need for water aside. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Five hours.” he looked at her with concern. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel fine.” she sat up but grimaced at the sting she felt from her side.

“Don’t do anything rash. Your wound might open up.”

“How are the others?”

“A few injured, but nothing life-threatening.”

“That’s good.” she sighed, and he brushed a loose strand of hair to the side. “How long until we reach the harbor?”

“Last I heard an hour at most.”

“I see…” Eliza looked down at her hands. She wasn’t sure what to say. “Silas-”

“Eliza-” they looked at each other with surprise, “Sorry, go ahead.”

“I-...” she bit her lip, now hesitant on what she was going to say. “I want to apologize… That’s the third time you’ve saved me from sudden death. I’m indebted to you.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re starting to sound a bit like Kaze.” Silas chuckled, “Could you ask him to stop trying to repay me? Just the other day he kept refilling my bowl without me looking.” Eliza laughed, though her side hurt slightly because of it.

“I’ll talk to him later. Still, I wish I could repay you.” she said, “What was it you wanted to tell me before the ship was attacked anyway?” she and Silas had been on deck, speaking of the past when Silas had mentioned wanting to tell her something. Then a sudden storm had appeared and the spirits had attacked.

“I-”

“Eliza?” Eliza's attention was drawn to Azura, who stood in the doorway with Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura. “How are you feeling?” her siblings walked up to the other side of the bed.

“I feel fine.” she gave a small smile.

“We're almost at the harbor.” Hinoka mentioned, “We should be getting ready to leave.”

“Right.” Eliza glanced at Silas, as he stood up and excused himself.

“Silas-”

“We’ll talk later,” he said with a smile that didn’t seem very Silas like, and left the room, leaving Eliza confused. He had seemed dejected. Whatever it was he wanted to tell her was clearly important, bothering him. She would have to ask him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bad at writing fight scenes and people getting injured did you notice?  
> I had fun writing the healer's dialogue. Maybe I'll make them into another FE OC. I have about 7 of them (Eliza included) so I obviously need more of them.  
> Next chapter will be another from Eliza's childhood cause my writing is inconsistent and there's no plot so everything jumps around. It's not finished, so it'll probably be posted next month or so.  
> Thanks for reading this so far! Comments are appreciated!


	7. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza has a nightmare and Silas comforts her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set immediately after the events of chapter 17 and before chapter 18 of Birthright

When Queen Mikoto had died, and Eliza had chosen to side with her birth siblings, she had been beside herself with grief but resolved to end the war. Every death of the soldiers she met and led strengthened her resolve to end the war with haste, not wanting to see any more lives taken.

Her resolve had faltered when she witnessed Flora take her own life. 

Her world had dimmed. Another star flickering out of existence in the night sky. 

Amends had been made, and Felicia and Ryoma had done the talking for her to the village elders of the Ice Tribe. 

“Lady Eliza- I know we must press forward…” Felicia stood before her, her eyes still red and puffy from crying. “But- I’d like to have a proper burial for Flora. Ryoma-” when had she started calling him without titles? “-Told me we would have to leave tomorrow but- I thought we could bury her in the morning- before we go.” 

Eliza took Felicia’s hands and squeezed them comfortingly. “Of course Felicia. We can have the burial for her tomorrow. And-” she swallowed thickly, the words on the tip of her tongue but no words would come out, instead, an apology tumbling from her lips. She pulled Felicia into a hug, and the maid broke into a sob as Eliza held her.

It was after dinner that Silas had walked her to the room she would be sleeping in, bidding her goodnight with a kiss to the forehead. Eliza caught his hand as he turned away.

“...Stay with me tonight?” she asked gently, “Please?” Silas smiled tiredly and let her lead him to the bed. Neither bothered changing, kicking off their shoes as they laid down. They held each other on the too-small bed clearly meant for one as she cuddled into him, not wanting to break the physical contact between them. In Silas’ arms, she let the grief she had kept hidden from the others leave her and cried into his chest. They stayed like that for a while, Eliza crying and Silas soothing her.

Sleep came to her quickly, though the dreams were anything but peaceful. She dreamed of the war, of Flora, her parent’s demise. And her siblings, succumbing to death. 

Hinoka, collected and fierce on her pegasus, shot down by arrows, fell to the ground, unmoving as Eliza tried to wake her at Castle Shirasagi. A figure loomed over her, ready to strike her with a sword beside her older sister.

Sakura, kind and compassionate, skewered by a spear at Fort Jinya, bleeding out as Eliza cradled her sister in her arms. The figure stood before her, raising an archer’s bow, an arrow pointing to her face.

Takumi, diligent and caring, struck down by a sword on the ship that had taken them to Nohr, his twitching body thrown off the boat and into the freezing depths below. The figure, racing at Eliza with a spear.

Ryoma, unyielding and calm, protecting her from a barrage of arrows just as their father had at Cheve, succumbing to his wounds as he lay in front of her, the rain muffling Eliza’s cries as the figure pointed Raijinto at her.

It had rained that fateful day too, she remembered as she closed her eyes.

Eliza’s eyes shot open with a gasp, breathing heavily as she took in her surroundings. She was in the room, but the comforting presence was missing beside her.

“Silas?” she stood up, looking around the room. 

“Eliza?” she turned to see Silas and sighed in relief. He stood before her at the door as the room seemed to fade away, her relief disappearing when she noticed blood slowly seeping through his clothes. 

_ Not Silas _ . She began to run towards him, but with each step she took she didn’t seem to get any closer to him. Panic and fear urged her to run faster.  _ Please, not him! _

“Eliza-” Silas fell to the floor and Eliza sobbed, frozen only a few feet away from him, unable to move. Behind where he had stood, she saw a reflection of herself, holding the Yato, drenched in blood. The same as her eyes. 

She felt herself falling in an endless sea of black, felt herself  _ drowning _ in despair, unable to breathe or escape.  

She awoke gasping for breath, sobbing, cradled in Silas’ arms as tears streamed down her face, incoherent words escaping her as she clung to him desperately.

“You had a nightmare,” he stated after her sobs had reduced to sniffles and she had calmed down, her crying stopped altogether. 

She mutely nodded her head. 

“Tell me what it was about.” she shook her head, afraid if she even spoke of it she’d be reduced to a gross sobbing mess again. “It was about me, wasn’t it...” she stared up at him. “You cried out in your sleep. You said my name.” she closed her eyes and took a few shuddered breaths before opening them to look at his eyes, beautiful, but full of worry and concern. 

Her lips betrayed her and the details of the nightmare tumbled out without her meaning to. 

“-And then I saw you and you were bleeding and-” she swallowed thickly, “I saw myself standing behind you with the Yato and there was just so much blood-...”

“Hey.” he pressed his forehead against hers, intertwining their fingers. “It was just a dream. That’s all it was. I’m right here,  _ alive _ .” he took her hand and laid it against his chest. The steady heartbeat made her relax, and she closed the gap between them with a kiss. 

Like the kisses they had shared before, it was sweet, gentle. Familiar, yet always different. 

When they parted, Eliza could see the wonder in the knight’s eyes she had grown accustomed to seeing whenever she was the one to initiate a kiss. He brought a hand to her check, wiping away whatever tears hadn’t dried, and kissed her again. 

Moments like these, where it was just the two of them, were the ones Eliza cherished the most. Like a lovely dream, she felt herself floating, falling, right into his arms. And she told him just that as she pulled away from the kiss, breathless.

“I feel the same way.” his lovely green eyes were brimming with tenderness and love, the dimples at his cheeks appearing as he gave her a smile that was reserved for her and no one else. “Being with you always brightens my day, and my world is brighter with you in it.” she felt her cheeks warm. If she hadn’t been blushing before, she definitely was now. “No, you  _ are _ , my world.”

“I can say the same thing about you.” she beamed, embarrassed but happy. “Promise me to stay by my side in battle.”

“On my honor, as a knight.” 

They fell asleep, Eliza with her head to Silas’ chest, the rhythmic heartbeat lulling her to a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

In the morning, a casket carved out of ice was buried beneath the snow. Eliza hadn’t anything to leave for her beloved friend, and settled with an arrow and the ribbon she had used to tie her hair that morning. She tied the blue ribbon to the arrow shaft and stuck it into the ground beside the gravestone.

**_Here lies a beloved daughter, sister, and friend_ **

**_May your soul find rest with the Ice Dragon_ **

**_Flora_ **

“Once this war ends, I’ll come back for my ribbon... Take care of it for me in the meantime.”

“Eliza?” she closed her eyes and placed a hand on the gravestone. 

“Goodnight... my friend.” she turned away and walked towards Silas, who stood with her siblings, and their troops.

She would end this terrible war and ensure peace. 

Even if it cost her own life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd post a chapter about Eliza's childhood but this chapter was a lot of fun to write. Though I kept rewriting, adding, and taking away parts before I was truly satisfied with it. 
> 
> Some things about Eliza:  
> A reflex of hers is to apologize for everything, even when she's not at fault. This is due to Garon finding fault in much of what she did as a child. I'll probably write more about Eliza's past and mention how her interactions with Garon went.
> 
> Eliza's an emotional person, different from how Corrin is in Fates, particularly in chapter 17. Witnessing her friend kill herself, she wouldn't outright be like, "GARON WILL PAY!!" and be on her way like... she would breakdown and cry.  
> During the war though, she wouldn't outright cry in front of the army, mainly cause she feels that she has to put up a front and not show how badly the war is affecting her (basically crying on the inside a whole lot tbh). With Flora's death she'd kinda just be unresponsive, maybe a little detached from everyone for a little bit after seeing someone she had grown up to know die  
> She'd push aside her grief and try and comfort Felicia instead, who just lost her sister. And of course they would at least bury Flora (or what's left of her) cause it bothered me that wasn't mentioned at all in game (though really what did I expect from instys)  
> Really the only person Eliza would allow herself to cry in front of during the war is Silas.
> 
> Another thing: not many other fates ships will be mentioned since there were only a few ships that I absolutely loved in the game. Ryoma/Felicia is one of those. They're kinda hinted in this chapter but it's really small and unnoticeable.  
> Also a heads up I lowkey ship Silas/Takumi so I might upload a chapter about Takumi's unrequited love this year/next year
> 
> Shoutout to my friend Haley who hypes me up with her reactions every time I send her a chapter to read cause it motivates me to write more ElizaSilas  
> Thank you for reading this! Comments are appreciated, let me know what you think!


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